


Tasteful

by orphan_account



Series: Fic Scraps That Prove I Can't write, Im just gay and want to vent [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Crushes, F/F, Heteronormativity, Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2020-07-12 00:54:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19937347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: She always wondered why she had the worst taste in men. She guessed this was as good an answer as any.





	Tasteful

**Author's Note:**

> Soooooooo I honestly don't really like this anime but I do like the characters and world building in it, so! I decided to try to write something.  
> I'm a lesbian by the way, so. This isnt some "girlXgirl don't like don't read >w< " bullshit. Im writing this for rep and character development. not for a weird fetish. Thanks, gn.

It starts when shes in the academy. _The Uchiha boys_ , girls giggles to themselves at lunch and before school and during independent work in class, _are cuter than anyone else_. 

She guesses maybe they are, she hasn't really noticed. She's been to busy keeping her head down, still afraid of being bullied for whatever it is the older girls feel like picking on her for. Its because of this that she's shocked when a blonde clan girl drops down in the chair beside her. 

"I'm Ino. You're Sakura, aren't you? I think your hair is so pretty! And your eyes too! You shouldn't cover your face like that! How about-" she reaches into her bag "-here!" And pulls out a bright red ribbon. 

This is Ino, this is her first friend. This is her first everything. 

She follows, starstruck.

\---------

When Sasuke is all that left, he gets left alone for awhile. A week at most- before girl after girl go up to say something sugary, sweetly fake, in the way all condolences seem to be when you're grieving. They aren't turned away from his new cold and dark personality, in fact, it only seems to draw in _more_ giggles at lunch and all the times before and after that. 

And Sakura, desperate to fit in, to understand the appeal of a snotty boy - _who reminds her more of the girls who bully her than anyone else_ \- goes right along with it when Ino shows interest as well. After all, hes strange now, sad and mysterious. Would it be so bad to get to know him?

As it turns out, **_yes_**. Ino finds their infatuatuon with the same boy irritating and angering. She declares them enemies, no longer friends. Sakura yells right back, and immediatly feels tears springing up to her eyes. She throws her treasured ribbon on the ground. This wasnt meant to drive them apart. Doesnt Ino know it was only for her? _Who cared_ about the boy! But if getting his attention meant getting Inos attention off him and on her, she'd do anything. 

Why would Ino think he meant so much?

Her being put on a team with Sasuke makes her feel sick. More pretending, more acting, more of gaining Inos ire and disdain. She feels like crying right there in the room while they wait for their teacher-the istructo of _team seven._ The several hours he takes do nothing to help this. She lays her head on a desk and doesnt bother to stop Naruto from setting up a prank, if he wants to get back at their teacher for all this wasted time, who's she to stop him? 

Her heads lifts off the desk and cathes the end of a sentence. "......I hate you. Roof. Two minutes." There's smoke and leaves and suddenly shes wide awake, jumping up from her seat to reach the stairs. Who was that? He was so _rude_! But. Strange, too. Was that truly their teacher? How annoying. Well. Its not like its up to her. 

She sees Ino every morning while her team as well as several others line up for D-ranks. She smiles at her and Inos lips tug up. 

**_It feels like a sun has taken place in her chest, the warmth she still feels towrds her._ **

Hatake Kakashi. Jounin. Lightning affiliated. Dog contract. What else?

She can't say she knows much else. _Oh_ , she thinks, _he also has a sharingan. Oh, ok_. Then, theres a fight, and blood, and chakra exhaustion, and another fight- _but not before they learn tree climbing and water walking_. Then theres Naruto, giant and red and leaking malice and kakashi saves the day and Sasukes cool with his sharingan but kakashi has one too and She'd never admit it to Ino but she's lost interest in Sasuke since talking about him only got Ino to yrll at her and hey, who'd yell at her for cozying up to her teacher, surely, the worst that coukd happen is a little favotitism right? She's always been considered a teachers pet.

The thought for some reason makes her sick. 

She blames her pale complexion on exhaustion, and smiles at her sensei.

Its after this, all of this, that something gives way. She goes to the yamanaka flower shop and finds Ino, teary eyed and pale. The blonde lookes stunned at her before sweeping her in a hug, setting her down on a couch and draping a blanket over them. Ino makes popcorn and puts on some old cheesy horror film that tgey spend 2 hours at laughing and criticizing. Everytime Ino says something, something in Sakura blooms. A sun in her chest is warm and steady, and Inos voice makes it even warmer. This is the first time they've talked in a year, and the last time they talk for months.

Its months and really, she thinks, yes she weak, but she graduated too, didn't she? Sasuke never spared her a glance, maybe thats because she really is weak. The extra sweet smils and compliments doused in extra admirance to nothing yo convince kakashi-sensei to train her more, or even recognize her as a true student. Any sort of butterflies thst fluttered when she thought of his possibly tagic story, or his face behind the mask truly die out. 

Anger takes its place. 

Bu the time Sasuke leaves, she's so angry at him and Kakashi for looking down at her, at Naruto for seeing her as some princess to protect, at everyone for not seeing what shit her teacher is at teaching, that she nearly starts a fight with Sasuke when he goes.

**_"I thought we were a team! I thought you wanted to get strong! You coward, why are you just leaving?"_ **

**"Ill never find what im looking for in Konoha, in you."** _It all goes dark and she wishes her tears were from sadness instead of this anger and frustration trapped in her skin._

Tsunande is a godsend. Anger has an outlet. She doesng have to lie to Tsunande or smile too sweet or bribe or- or- anything to get get training, Tsunande is her teacher, and shes a damn good one. Not only can Sakura protect herself now, she can protect anyone else too. Shes older. She hasnt talked go her old teacher in months and it feels like a relief. She slowly works to recover herself, all the pieces she never got a chance to grab before, when she was concentrated on being pretty and then Sasuke and then kakashi and then her anger. She finds she rather likes just sitting and meditating, reveling in the peace around her.

When Ino shows up at her house, days after the word of Asumas death has reached Konoha, she says nothing. Just pulls ino in and makes them both sweet hot chocolate, pulls ino into her fluffy nest of blankets on the floor, and flicks on some action movie about a girl who destroys everything in her path to find her missing wife. When she wakes up, the red ribbon is on a note that has nothing but a smiley on it. She doesnt cry.

Well. Maybe.

Just a little, though. 

Shes 16 and she and Ino meet up now, once a week, at a bar with several other friends including inos team and Naruto, who is the only one Sakura is willing to consider as a part of her team, and even that gruding. 

Its not the closeness they could have had. But its something. 

Ino catches her eye from across the table and flick an peanut from a dish on the table at her. They both laugh and started a mini food fight, dragging their friends into it as well. The night ends with the two girls leaning on each other to get home, slightly drunk and peanuts in their hair.

Even in the chill of the bar, and the outside streets, the sun in Sakuras chest makes her feel warm all over.

It takes her until shes 19, out of a war, hardened medic, scarred and lost, to embrace the person whos never failed to give her comfort. Light eyes meet bright grrengreen from across a dirt pathway, and they slowly walk towards each other.

"Im sorry. I remember the hurtful things i said, about us, over some stupid boy who never even looked twice at me. I wish i hadnt." 

"Its ok, Ino, we're talking now arent we? I get it. We were young. And even desoite that we weren't really friends....you were there when i needed you. Im sorry too, for not trying to work it out. Work us out"

"Its.....over with. Hey. How bout we go to my place, just us. And watch some crappy film? You can tell me everything ive missed. And ill tell you about my exciting adventures with the laziest-ninja-of-all on my team." 

Sakura grabs her hand, gently, slowly. But confidently.

"I think that sounds relaxing. Tsunande keeps telling me i need some vacation. Im sure she had a resort in mind but.....for me? This is plenty." 

**Author's Note:**

> Look I don't often write and I'm usually too worked up to keep a single story's plot in my head long enough but I'm trying here. Really. I know its not great but, hey, we've all gotta start somewhere I guess.


End file.
